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The next-gen Allen & Heath SQ+ 48-input, compact digital mixers—which include the SQ5+ (16+1 faders), SQ6+ (24+1 faders) and SQ7+ (32+1 faders)—incorporate some vital, powerful and super fun features pulled from the company’s top-of-the-line models. The user interface is completely refreshed, there’s more processing muscle per channel, dynamics control (expanding, compression, etc.) is enhanced and high-end RackUltra FX are included in each model. In the accompanying video, Allen & Heath Product Manager Keith Johnson unveils the superpowers of the SQ+ series and how they offer enriched creativity and more productive workflows for nearly every live and studio mixing application.
A Larger Screen
“Anyone who is familiar with the SQ mixers will notice the SQ+ models have larger screens,” says Johnson. “Putting in that larger screen gave us the opportunity to revisit the graphical user interface (GUI), user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). The main advantage is getting all the information to the user they need, but without more information being confusing.”
The Power of Expansion
“SQ+ mixers offer a bit more available processing power per channel, which allows us to run expanders. In fact, one of the biggest requests we had from customer feedback was for expanders, and to make a really good one that gradually reduces the volume of a signal, you need quite a bit of processing in there—it’s not like a noise gate flipping on and off. The Source Expander in the SQ+ is very natural and musical sounding. For example, if other instruments on stage are bleeding into the vocal mic, you don’t want things to be cutting in and out too much. It doesn’t sound very nice. With an expander, there’s a ramped change in the level, rather than an abrupt one.”
RackUltra FX Onboard
“One of the big things on the SQ+ series is rack effects. We originally developed RackUltra FX for our flagship dLive, and they were available as a card option for dLive and Avantis mixers. But we’ve built RackUltra FX right into the SQ+ mixers. Avantis and dLive give you eight RackUltra slots, and you get four with SQ+, but they are running exactly the same algorithms.”
Pictured: Discussing the RackUltra FX Engines in the new SQ+ Series
Quality is Everywhere, Mixers Must Adapt
“Over time, people have become more accustomed to having access to a high level of sound. Everything is improving all the time. A sound system is not just a couple of speakers without tweeters mounted on sticks. Now, you’ve got very high-quality speaker systems and microphones. People know about acoustic treatment now, so you’re not playing in a terrible sounding basement. The quality level of entire systems has increased, and the mixer has to rise to the challenge. We have to include rack effects and guitar models, and provide whatever is needed so someone can take the sound they heard in their head and recreate it in a live environment.”
Get Ready for a Bonus!
When users register an SQ+ mixer with Allen & Heath, they get access to an exclusive SQ+ PlusPack (a $999 value). U.S. customers also receive RackUltra FX Essentials (a $149 value).